Improvement in glass-furnaces



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. FOSTER AND CHARLES W. FOSTER, OE CHARLESTOWN, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GLASS-FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,657, dated July 23, 18-72f Specification describing certain Improvements in Glass-Melting Furnaces, invented by GEORGE W. FosTER and CHARLEs W. Fos- TER, both of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts.

Qur invention relates particularly to tankfurnaces,77 to be heated by coal or wood; and consists in the arrangement of a mound, an opening in the roof of the tank, and an airspace between the fire and the tank, with other portions of the furnace, as fully described below.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a side elevation of a tank-furnace embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan of the floor or bottom of the tank.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a, is the tank. b is the arched roof of vthe tank a. c is the oor or bottom of the tank a. d is a mound or elevation in the center of the floor c. e is the side of the tank a. f is the tunnel-shaped opening in the roof b, through which the raw material or batch is poured into the .tank a, and which may be used as a draught to guide and let off heat, if required. This tunnel is placed directly over the highest portion of the mound d, so that the batch falls upon the mound and is immediately exposed to the flames and intense heat from the fire. Vhen the opening f is not in use for pouring in batch it is closed by means of a clay stopple or plug. It is not used as an escape for smoke, which does not pass out at the opening f, but through the working-holes at the sides. g is the fire-pot. g is the entrance or opening to the re-pot g-the door is not shown in the drawing. h is the grate. t' is the ash-box or wind-box.77 j is a hole extending from either or both sides of the furnace to the box z', under the grate h. This is a draughthole intended to blow air under the grate to drive the fire. k is the passage leading from the fire in the fire-pot g to the tank a. lis the partition separating the fire-pot g from the tank a. m is a space extending entirely through the furnace, and intended to keep the partition as cool as desired. This is accomplished by blowing airfinto the space m,

and is an important improvement, as it prevents the partition l from melting, burning, or rotting away. n u are working-holes or-ringholes, through which the workmen gather the metal, stir, &c. o o are bridges or arches over the working-holes n a. p p are the tops of the arches o o, in which are ues to carry oif smoke, regulate draught, &c. A track may be easily constructed, upon which a car may be run, extending to the tunnel j', to tip the cold or hot material into the tank a.

The method of operating tank-furnaces and their advantages over furnaces needing pots or crucibles are so well known as to need no explanation here. The mound d is very useful in bringing the batch at once into the severest heat, allowing it to run down -to the floor c as soon as melted. If necessary it may be raked over the surface through one of the workingholesa a. It will readily be seen that by properly regulating the Working-holes u. u, tunnel j', openings j, Stc., any variety of draught may be obtained, the ame may be caused to spread over the tank a, and the batch be melted by surface-heat, commencing with that' upon the mound d.

We hold that by means of our improvement we economize fuel, we obtain a direct action of the ames upon the batch, we make a more durable furnace, and we are enabled to direct and regulate the action and motion of the flames. the use of a tank in a glass-meltin g furnace as a part of our invention, or as anything new.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination and arrangement of the mound d, partition l, tank a, and tunnel f, the said mound being placed directly under the said tunnel, substantially as specified, and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

2. The combination and arrangement of the air-space m, partition l, tank a, and fire-pot g, as and for the purpose above specified.

GEO. W. FOSTER. CHARLES W. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMs, E. H. OBEE.

We do not claim atank-furnace or 

